NieR Automata: Through the Looking-Glass
by 0erbayunFang
Summary: People are randomly disappearing without a trace, never to return. When 2B, 9S and A2 are suddenly whisked away to a place that looks like home, but isn't, they discover more about the world, themselves and each other than they could have dreamed possible. Will they find home? Will they even want to? What is humanity's true fate? *more details inside, rating subject to change*
1. Spirited Away

_**A/N: Well hey there. I'm back! And I've got something new for you guys to chew on. This chapter's kinda small, and that's unfortunately going to be a running theme for this one - it's just how the story's manifested itself for me. The chapter length might increase in future updates, but until then you'll have to make do with these little bite-sized munchables. :P**_

 _ **Now before I go any further, this is to an extent a team effort between myself and Recycler. We've had countless PMs back and forth, discussing ideas, overarching plot, character design, etcetera. This little story was actually his idea, and he came to me with it quite a while before. I wanted to get the upper hand on chapters before I actually started posting. Basically, I wanted a good 5 chapters between current and written; and that way if I fall behind due to writers' block or some other reason there'll still be something to post. The schedule will be a chapter a fortnight, and that's non-negotiable. Sorry guys.**_

 _ **Full summary:**_ _ **There are strange rumors going around YoRHa and the Resistance. People are randomly disappearing without a trace and presumed dead, but this is the last thing on 9S' mind until he experiences the phenomenon for himself. When he, 2B and A2 are whisked away to a place that looks like home, but isn't, they will discover more about the world, themselves and each other than they could have ever dreamed. Will they find their way back home? Will they even want to? What is humanity's true fate? Meanwhile, the Operatives have their hands full trying to track down their wayward charges when their black-box signals reappear.**_

 ** _Enough for now. It's story time! Read on. :)_**

* * *

 **Through the Looking-Glass**

 _ **Chapter 1 – Spirited Away**_

* * *

9S sat at the end of his partner's cot, watching the faint breeze as it ruffled her white hair. Her visor was off, her lashes brushing her cheeks as she slept. His hand, he had placed on the edge of the cot, bare millimetres from her own. The warmth emanating from her skin, muffled by her glove, was the only reason 9S wasn't currently having a – very much frowned-upon – panic attack.

She would be okay, Devola and Popola had said. Her body would simply take some time to repair the trace damage still left. After all, they weren't twin wonders. There were some things even they could not fix.

Things that could only be left in the hands of the patient herself.

And so, he kept vigil, still and silent. He hadn't bothered to find a replacement visor to place over his eyes; that was a moment in time when she could awaken, and he would not be there.

The only time he had left her side at all was to place his memories inside a body that wasn't a machine's.

The battle with Eve had cost them much; many had died when the rabid machines had descended upon the Resistance Camp. But with both commanding units out of the way, the machines' chain of command was in a complete disarray. YoRHa were currently planning how they would exploit this, but for now, he and 2B stayed on Earth. He had chosen to recover by her side, since she could not accompany him to the Bunker until she regained consciousness; ignoring the fleeting stares of the bare amount of YoRHa ground soldiers at this blatant show of emotion.

All he could think about were the sounds of 2B's heart-wrenching sobs as she'd held his corrupted body. He never wanted to hear that sound again; it caused him too much pain.

He didn't want to think about why that was.

"Analysis: unit 2B should reactivate in approximately five minutes fourty-two seconds," stated 2B's pod, 042, as it hovered diligently by her side.

9S nodded, but the tension in his body did not dissipate. It wouldn't until he saw her eyes open.

Which they did, exactly five minutes and fourty-two seconds later.

Her chest rose as she took a shuttered breath, her blue eyes widening, then wincing as the perpetual noonday sun blinded her. Her hand reached up of its own accord to shield her from the glare, and, slowly, she sat up.

"9S?" she asked, without conscious thought.

His hand squeezed hers. "Right here."

She flinched at the contact, and he withdrew immediately, ignoring the iron spike lodging in his heart – the one he wasn't supposed to have. "How do you feel?" he asked, covering the hurt with a business-like tone.

Her hand resting at her temple, she swung her legs over the side of the cot and stood, testing her weight. She flexed each of her limbs in turn, testing the feel of them. 9S waited patiently for her to respond.

It was then that the portals appeared.

There was no sound to announce their presence, no audible rip or tear in spacetime. They just rippled into being, with only the brush of its power to force the duo to summon their weapons and look around for the source.

9S gaped. 2B shifted into a combative stance, Virtuous Contract steady in her hand.

But they did not get the chance to attack. They were drawn closer, closer, their pods staying close to their sides.

"The hell?" 2B hissed.

"Analysis: this appears to be a tear in the fabric of space," said Pod 042.

" _What_?"

But before anything more could be said, they were sucked into the rifts, and they closed out of existence – as if they were never there to begin with.

 _ **…**_

A2 wandered the deserted city streets, swiping at every machine she could find. She was on edge; no YoRHa goons had been sent to destroy her since she encountered those two models in the Forest Castle.

2B and 9S.

It wasn't the first time she had encountered them, either. There had been another time, not far from that castle, but that time, she had won. Learned a few tricks from 'em, too, as well as stolen their weapons.

It should have been easier, then, to kill them in the castle. But her hand had stayed the killing blow, unable to bear the thought of more of their blood on her hands. They didn't seem to have remembered her, so she had pulled back, gave them a cryptic thought to sort through, and left them to their own devices.

So lost was she in her own thoughts, her body acting on autopilot, that she didn't notice the portal opening up beside her until it was too late, and she was sucked in; the portal closing back up just as quickly as it had appeared.

* * *

"2B, Operator 6O, here," she chirped from the Bunker's left terminal wing. "It is time for your regularly-scheduled conta–" She stopped midsentence, noticing 2B's black box suddenly winking out of existence, the line going dead just as quickly. "2B? 2B!"

"Commander!" yelled Operator 21O from the right wing. "I've lost contact with 9S!"

"I can't get in touch with 2B!" panicked 6O.

"Start a search!" ordered the Commander.

"I can't," said 21O. "His black box, it just…disappeared."

"No…" The Commander slammed her fist on the railing. "Dammit!"

"Wait," said 6O, "her black box is back online!" She breathed a sigh of relief. "She's alive."

The Commander's breath left her body all at once. "Get their location on the big screen, now!"

The Bunker devolved into a flurry of panicked typing as every Operator in the vicinity focused on getting a bead on the two units' locations.

"6O, 21O," called the Commander. "I need a word."

Both Operators immediately rose from their terminals and made their way up to the blonde leader, and she led them out of Comms and into the hall just outside. "What happened?"

"It was the strangest thing," said 6O, fiddling with her nails nervously. "I was trying to get in touch with her, as per our scheduled contacts, but suddenly the line cut off and her black box signal just disappeared."

"I can report the same thing on my end," said 21O calmly. "I can only assume they're together, however, since they disappeared at the same time. To the microsecond."

"Prioritise finding their whereabouts," said the Commander. "Use whatever means necessary."

"I request a model change," said 21O.

"Me too," said 6O.

The Commander pursed her lips, folding her arms. "Are you two completely sure about this? You can't change your mind midway through. And if we do find them, you will not be able to change your model back."

The two Operators looked, first at each other, and then at the Commander, their decision clear. They nodded. "I'm sure," said 21O. "I put in a request two days ago. I've thought this through."

"You said whatever means necessary," said 6O. "I'm doing this."

The Commander nodded, satisfied. "Alright then. I'll make it happen. Dismissed."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, there we have it. Next chapter will be in two weeks. Stay tuned for more.**_

 _ **And be sure to thank Recycler too in your reviews! Without him, this little baby would never have come to be.**_


	2. Stranded

_**A/N: Hi there, I'm back. Next chapter's here, and that's awesome. I'm a few days late, sorry about that, but I've been very tired lately and writing just wasn't on the to-do list.**_

 _ **To the reviewee who left their honest opinion two weeks ago,** **Septorex101** **: I get where you're coming from. The first chapter doesn't leave you with much, and the former summary wasn't as serious as it could have been. But it was all I could think of to get this thing started, and Recycler looked at it and said it was fine. The summary has since been fixed up to the best of my ability. This WILL be a multi-chapter, full-fledged beast of a story, and that's that. Sorry to confuse you and anyone else who might have felt the same. We will do our best to give this story everything it deserves. And thanks for the quick review!**_

 _ **This does pick up after these first few chapters, so...stay and read, okay? Please?**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2 – Stranded**_

* * *

Groggy. Couldn't move. Everything _hurt_.

"Scanning…no damage detected…"

 _Is that…Pod?_

"…unit 2B…Activate."

She gasped awake, sitting up with a start. Blinking rapidly, she looked around through eyes unfettered by any visor, dimly noting she was in the city ruins, not far from the drop zone. A startling warmth on her hand drew her eyes down and to the side, where she was relieved to find 9S' hand clinging tightly to her own.

Her lips pressing together, she clenched his hand just as tightly, giving in and letting herself enjoy the brief contact. All too soon, she removed her hand, forcing aside the brief stabbing pain in her heart as she did so.

"9S," she said gently. When he did not respond, she looked towards 042, which hovered close to her side. "Pod, how long have we been out?"

"Scanning. Analysis: Units 2B and 9S have been in stasis for four days seven hours fourty-two minutes," droned the Pod obediently.

"Any news from Command?" she asked as 9S, too, began to stir. "2B?"

"I'm here."

9S sat up slowly, shaking his head slightly. He blinked, willing his eyes to focus. A hand gravitated to his eyes, where his visor usually sat, only to feel skin and lashes.

The Pod was silent. 2B became impatient. "Pod, answer."

"No news from Command," said 042. "Error: Cannot establish connection to Bunker."

2B blinked. "What?"

"Cannot establish connection to Bunker," intoned 153, speaking for the first time since they had woken. "Analysis: Connection no longer exists."

"What happened to the Bunker?" 2B shoved her panic down.

"I don't think anything happened to the Bunker," said 9S. "It's so close to Earth, if it were destroyed we would have been showered by debris." His brows stitched together in focused thought. "But then again, we've been out for a while."

The memories slowly came back to them both. Those things that appeared… "That rift, or whatever it was…we were sucked into it, but that's the last thing I remember," said 9S, trying to piece together what had happened. "Did someone move us, or…is this where it spat us out?"

"What are you talking about?"

9S grimaced. "I…might have downloaded some old-world data. It was classified as 'fiction', and…well, basically, it was a story about rifts or tears in spacetime, and how the main character was transported to another world with them."

2B blinked, absorbing the new information. "Isn't that against regulations?"

"I know, I know, but I couldn't help it."

"Your curiosity is…definitely something." 2B turned her attention to her Pod. "Pod, send me a mini-map and our co-ordinates." Without their visor – which also acted as their HUD in the field – they would be running near-blind save for what information their Pods could give.

"Negative. Unable to find geographic data. Unable to establish connection with YoRHa satellites."

"What do you mean, 'Can't find geographic data'?" snapped 2B. "We're in the city ruins!"

And indeed, they were, although Engels was missing from the landscape, and the crater in the centre of the ruins was missing. Something that did not go unnoticed by 9S. "This may be the city ruins," he said, "but don't you think there's something missing?"

2B took another look around, this time taking in everything. And her eyes widened. "You're right," she said. "Our city ruins are more open, because of that crater. I should be able to see the other side of the ruins from here. And Engels is missing."

"Affirmative," said 042. "Hypothesis: Tear in spacetime sucked units 2B and 9S into another world. This conclusion would account for the missing connection to Command and changes in landscape."

"Wait a minute," said 9S. "That's a bit of a jump, don't you think? That story I told you about was only meant to be fiction. Imagination."

Both units stood, dusting off their outfits. "We can discuss how we got here later," said 2B. "Pod, do a sweep of the area."

"Scanning. Lone black box signal detected approximately three-hundred meters away. No machine lifeforms detected."

"Get a layout of the area and send it to me. Plot the black box signal on the mini-map," she ordered. Seconds later a mini-map appeared on the bottom-right corner of her visual. Absentmindedly, she briefly petted 042 before setting off, entering the ruined building nearest to them.

"Pod, can I get a copy of that scan?" asked 9S. Seconds later, he, too, had a copy of the surrounding area. Sword now in hand, he followed after the B unit.

It was after several flights of stairs and two or three jumps up the holes in the ceiling when no stairs were available that they encountered A2, still unconscious, propped up against the furthest wall.

"It's that rogue unit again. A2."

"What do we do?" asked 9S, hushed. "We can't just kill her while she's like this."

A2 was an experimental YoRHa unit, one generation before the likes of 9S and 2B. Based on the data they had gathered for Anemone, as well as the information given by Commander White, she was an Attacker unit sent along with eleven others in a twelve-man strike team bound for Pearl Harbor. She was the lone survivor, and after the assault she wound up going rogue, dismantling several pursuit androids in her bid to escape. She also happened to look just like 2B would with long hair.

"We're not going to kill her," said 2B. "Last time we fought, she attacked only to defend herself, and ended up escaping midway through. She didn't want to fight in the first place."

"All the same, she may not react well if she wakes up to us looming over her like this," pointed out 9S. "Pod, check her for damage."

"Affirmative." 153 hovered over to the ex-YoRHa unit. "Scanning. Alert: Faulty fuel filter detected. Alert: light damage to NFCS. Alert: No FFCS detected."

"Oh, man," said 9S. "Well, she doesn't have a Pod, so that'd be why she doesn't have FFCS online. We could try scrounging around for a fuel filter for her, and we'd need to take her to Devola and Popola to get her NFCS fixed up. Otherwise she's a sitting duck."

"Do we really have time to babysit a YoRHa fugitive?" asked 2B.

"Until we can get back home – assuming the Pods' theory about this being another world is correct – yes, we do." 9S put a finger to his chin in thought. "Besides, this wouldn't be the first time we helped out a fugitive or two. Remember that wandering couple?"

"They weren't YoRHa fugitives," said 2B. "They were running from the Resistance. And in the end, they went back."

"My point still stands," said 9S stubbornly. "I say we help her out."

"And when we get back in touch with Command, she'll become our enemy again," said 2B.

"We can deal with that when it occurs – _if_ it occurs," he corrected. "We don't even know if we can get back."

He had a point and she knew it. "Fine. We keep an eye on her."

"Alert: Unit A2 will awaken shortly," said 153.

A2 gasped in a breath, chest heaving with the effort. She sat up abruptly, rolling into a crouch at the sight of the two YoRHa units. "You two again, huh?" she asked, reaching for her sword – only to come up empty. "What the hell –!?"

"Please calm down." 9S raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture. "Your NFCS is damaged. We're not here to hurt you."

"If we were, you'd already be dead," asserted 2B. "We found you against the wall. You needed time to reboot."

"Alert: Unit A2's fuel filter needs replacement. Alert: light damage to NFCS. Alert: No FFCS detected. Maintenance recommended," said 153.

"We need to get you to the Resistance Camp," 9S added.

"The Resistance Camp?" A2's brows stitched together. "No. Can't go there."

"What? Why?"

"None of your damn business, that's why."

"You can't defend yourself," stated 2B bluntly as she crossed her arms. "If you encounter any machines, you'll mostly likely be destroyed."

"You're saying I only have two options: go with you to the Resistance Camp or be a sitting duck." A2 narrowed her eyes. "Well I'm pretty useless right now. Why exactly haven't you done their job for 'em, and dismantled me yourselves? Since, according to the _darling_ Commander White, I'm a dangerous fugitive."

"You first. Why won't you go to the Resistance?"

A2 sighed. "It's…personal. That's all I really wanna say." She fixed them with an annoyed stare. "Is that enough for you?"

"For now."

9S cleared his throat. "As good as Scanner models are at maintenance, there isn't much I can do except a patch-up job. And then there's the faulty fuel filter. I'm sorry, but your only option is to go to the Resistance Camp, with us."

"Goddammit. Twist my arm, why don't you." A2 got to her feet. "Fine. I'll go with you. Happy now?"

"I'll be happier when you're fully functional," said 9S.

"Come on, then." With that, 2B turned on her heel and began to jog back down through the building, leaving 9S and A2 to follow suit.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, that's that. If you like, review. If you don't, review anyway?**_

 _ **Fang out.**_


	3. Same Faces

_**A/N: Hi guys. I'm having a hell of a time IRL at the moment. Time just isn't moving like it should for me, and I'm losing track of days something harsh.**_

 ** _Now, I know you guys aren't gonna be happy about this, but I need to take a tiny step back from FF dot net for a little bit. As I've explained to Recycler, and am planning to put on my profile - if you haven't checked it, please do so - it's because writing is slowly becoming less and less of a hobby and more and more something I MUST do. Like a full-time job. That doesn't pay. I started this as a way to de-stress, but honestly it's becoming more and more stressful for me. So, for the time being (it won't be more than a month or two, promise), everything's going on hiatus. I deeply apologise, but it desperately needs to be done for the sake of my sanity. You guys value that, right? Right? Of course you do._**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3 – Same Faces…**_

* * *

"Where the hell are all the machines?" asked A2 as they walked. "This place used to be crawling with them."

"We…don't actually know," said 9S carefully. "The landscape's changed, too."

"Yeah, I see that." A2 lapsed back into silence. The giant robot was missing from the landscape, the crater just down from the robot's dismantled corpse also missing, and it threw her. Perhaps the events of the last few weeks had been a dream? But if that was it, then how could those two YoRHas recognise her?

Just thinking about it all gave her a headache. So, she tried not to as they kept walking towards the Resistance Camp.

She was nervous as hell. Far as she'd heard, Anemone was in charge. Would her opinion on her have changed, now that she was the "dangerous fugitive" YoRHa was so desperately trying to track down?

The thought lowered her mood considerably. Out of all the Resistance members she and her team met and subsequently fought with that day, it was Anemone who took the longest to trust her. The thought that after all this time, that trust and respect would be reduced to nothing…it made her feel like a newly-manufactured model who'd just been thrust into their first mission.

"Where's all the wildlife?" wondered 9S, breaking A2 out of her thoughts. "I haven't seen a single boar since we got here."

It was a good question. All three androids looked around, and, sure enough, there were no animals roaming the ruins.

"Maybe they migrated further in?" The mystery had 9S' curiosity piqued. It would be no trouble to climb atop one of the tallest buildings and travel–

"Maybe." 2B began to move at a faster pace. The lack of wildlife unnerved her. The sooner she found something familiar, something to ground her in reality, the sooner she would be able to relax.

Within a few moments they had found the small pond made from run-off from the broken sewer lines outside the Resistance Camp – purified over the several thousands of years humanity had been gone, so much so that the large aquatic population explosion came as a shock to those who had chosen to research the world of their creators.

The integration of the machine population initially had meant a steady decline of the natural fish population, but several hundred years back it had suddenly begun to climb back up. It seemed that after a significant amount of time, machine fish had disconnected from the network, unable to update their software enough to keep hold of the connection.

Now, with no ulterior purpose, they had adapted to live as their natural counterparts had, seemingly with their full support. It had become a welcome distraction for YoRHa soldiers in their downtime to use their Pods to 'fish', and the diversity of what they ended up catching tended to translate into some interesting stories to tell the Operators back up in the Bunker.

"Hey!"

9S looked up, instinctively looking around for 2B. _Wait, but if she's right here…_

"Hey, you three!"

Again, with that voice. This time 2B looked up as well. "Is that…?"

It was A2 who first spotted her. A mid-height female, with short black hair and a white dress. Seeing that she had the strangers' attention, she then proceeded to run over to them. "Do you guys know her?" A2 asked the others.

They both shook her heads. "No-one wears white at the camp," said 9S. "At least, no-one I've seen."

The woman in white finally made her way over. She exhaled, patting down the front of her skirt. "Sorry to interrupt. Who are you three? I've never seen you around here before. Are you new?"

"No visor," said 2B, hushed.

"Her eyes," replied 9S, his own wide. "Look at them."

The monochrome trio immediately tensed. The woman's eyes…they were _red_. Which could only mean…

"Do you think…a logic virus?" asked 9S.

"But she seems normal enough."

The woman gave a hum of confusion. "Are…you okay there?"

Pod 042, which had been silent for most of the trip, now spoke up. "Scanning. Analysis: no logic virus detected."

"You have a Pod? So, you must be soldiers then…" She narrowed her eyes. "Wait. Logic virus? Who are you people?"

2B sighed and straightened her spine. If 042 said there was no logic virus... "I'm 2B." She gestured to the other two at her side. "This is 9S, and that's A2."

"I see…" She pursed her lips, but nonetheless continued on. "My name's Brenna, military alias 2B. Guess we have a few things to talk about."

2B folded her arms. "Interesting." Introductions aside, this Brenna looked very similar in features to herself. Same beauty mark, same eye shape, the curve of her lips and brow, the length of her hair.

And aside from the colour, her dress was very similar to her own military outfit, with a few slight adjustments – the split in the skirt was missing, as was the window at the chest. The back window was covered with a silver and grey lace mesh, and her boots, while still climbing up to mid-thigh, had a more modest heel to them, thicker and lower to ground.

"Brenna!"

The raven-haired woman turned at the sound of her name, and her face lit up in a smile. "Silas!"

The newcomer jogging towards them was a head taller than Brenna, his hair a deep raven, offset by the white of his clothing. As he neared, the androids noted that his eyes, too, seemed to be red.

"I was wondering where you'd gotten to," said the newcomer easily. As he spotted the three androids in front of Brenna, his expression became serious. "Who…?"

"I think they're new around here," said Brenna. "Although this one here has my military alias." She gestured, first to 2B, then 9S. "Apparently he has yours too."

"I'm 9S," said 9S helpfully.

Silas nodded. "I'm Silas, military alias 9S. What brings you here?"

9S cleared his throat awkwardly. "A2 needs a new fuel filter. Based on our intel, we can only get it here."

"Rose should be able to tell you if we have any on hand," said Silas. "She's the Resistance leader who runs this camp."

"Wait a second…wasn't Anemone in charge here?"

Brenna shook her head. "Actually, that's kind of a touchy subject for Rose. She was her subordinate way back when." A look of suspicion crossed her face. "Wait a minute. Where'd you learn her name, anyway?"

"We…Um…" 9S fumbled for something to say for a while before 153 spoke up.

"Analysis: Units 9S, 2B and A2 have travelled to another world."

Everyone froze. The raven-haired duo looked from the Pod to the three, blinking. Once. Twice. Again. Finally, the silence was broken by Brenna.

"I…you…that's crazy. You're crazy."

9S set his jaw. His little Pod was in for a stern talking-to later on.

Silas shook his head. "I dunno, Bren. Don't you remember, someone was supposed to check the ruins for some kind of power spike?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"And this is too much of a coincidence to let go."

"Si, this is crazy talk. They're talking about…other worlds, and…that stuff's only ever read about in fiction books!"

"It'd be one thing if one of them said it. But the fact that it was one of their Pods that spoke up…"

Brenna sighed. "You may have a point, but all the same. I think we should go see Rose about these people. We can talk about spare parts later." She turned her attention to the three androids before her. "Come on, you three."

Both she and Silas made their way back up the small incline to the tiny nook between collapsing buildings that led to the Resistance Camp. 2B and 9S looked at each other for a small amount of time, nodded, and followed suit, A2 trailing behind them, sullen and silent.

* * *

"Your mission is to find our missing units, 9S and 2B," came the stern voice of the Commander, her image at the top right of the terminal fuzzy.

"Roger," said 21O. "Are our Operators ready?"

"Everything's green on this end. Start at the Resistance Camp and rendezvous with Anemone, then follow any leads you find," said the Commander. "Call me directly if you find them."

"Got it." Commander White's image blinked out, signalling the end of the call.

"Okay!" said 6O, stretching idly. "Let's go, 21B!" She giggled. "I'll never get used to calling you that."

21O shook her head, hiding a small smile of her own. Their request for a model change was processed in record time – a staggering two days, in which any and all preparation was dealt with swiftly. The process was similar to undergoing a full data overhaul – they were put under, with Scanner models from R&D assisting with the data swap and skill set implementation, leaving their memories otherwise intact.

They came to a day later to establish a separate Pod connection each – Pod 067, a silver and black model, was given to 21O, whereas 6O connected quickly with a red and gold 119 unit. Another day was spent giving the two new soldiers a crash course in hand-to-hand combat, as well as training with each basic weapon model so as to establish their strengths. 21O preferred a practical lance/heavy sword combination, whereas 6O liked to get up-close and personal with a set of combat bracers and a short sword. All were the latest YoRHa-issue.

Having sobered considerably, 21O – or 21B, as was her new official designation – began to walk in the direction of the Resistance Camp, with 6B following close behind, enthralled with everything she saw.

"I never thought I'd get even close to Earth! This is incredible! Isn't this incredible, 21B?" she babbled excitedly.

"Whether or not it is incredible is irrelevant," 21B replied. "Our mission is to find units 2B and 9S, and bring them back to the Bunker."

"I really hope they're okay," said 6B. "Pod, how are their black box signals?"

"Analysis: Black box signals of units 2B and 9S are online," said 119. "Alert: Unable to track signals."

"That's a worry. Wonder if they've managed to hop continents," mused 6B.

"It's unlikely they managed to do so without the help of a H0229 Flight Unit," said 21B. "Regardless, Command has given our orders. We rendezvous with Anemone and gather what information we can about their disappearance."

"Right," said 6B. "How far away is it?"

"One-point-six kilometres East of our current position," said 21B.

"Not too far out then. Wonder if we'll run into any Lunar Tears on the way!"

"Lunar Tears are too rare. You would be lucky to encounter more than eight at a time on the one continent."

"You spoilsport. This is our first time on Earth. Why not enjoy it a little?"

"We're not here to enjoy ourselves. We're here to do our jobs. And you need to remember: emotions are prohibited. You need to learn to be more insular."

"Strange that they'd program us to feel if all we'd do is shove it all away anyway," mused 6B. "The humans, I mean."

21B merely shrugged, and continued on her way. 6B's face fell slightly, but she quickly hid it behind a smile as she jogged to catch up to her partner.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Alright, done and dusted. Leave me some nice reviews for when I get back, please? I love you all.**_

 _ **Fang out (for the time being).**_


	4. Different People

_**A/N: Hi guys, I'm back from my holiday-slash-break! I didn't actually mean to be gone so long, so I apologise for that, but on the flip side, I have some more new chapters to share with you guys!**_

 _ **There's not going to be a fixed schedule for updates, but I can tell you that I'll be trying my best to update at least once every week. Now, I know chapters are a little on the short side right now, but I can tell you that later chapters get longer. Like, 3000-4000 words type of longer. So you have that to look forward to. Yay!**_

 _ **As always, thanks to Recycler for making this a reality! Go thank him, brainy guy that he is!**_

 _ **And thank you, readers, for putting up with my crap. I owe you guys a lot.**_

 _ **Now, back to business! We have a story to tell. Read on!**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4 – …Different People**_

* * *

It was only a short way into the Resistance Camp, and yet it felt like a lifetime. Spine straight, Brenna led the group forward, followed closely by Silas. A2, 9S and 2B trailed behind, taking in their familiar-yet-alien surroundings.

It was as if the damage taken by the last direct machine attack caused by Eve's insanity had been reversed – or it had never happened in the first place. There were no char marks on the sails above, no-one mourning their lost loves or comrades. There was even the occasional machine lifeform milling about, eyes not red but green, chatting away with the black-haired, red-eyed androids as if they had been friends all their lives.

"I don't…believe it," breathed 9S. He looked over to the other two to see if his reaction was justified. 2B had a scarily blank look to her, whereas A2 looked almost homicidal. He stepped a little closer to 2B, just in case.

Brenna stopped the party's advance. "Rose should be around here somewhere."

"I'll go find her," said Silas, walking away soon after.

"E-Excuse me, Brenna? If I might ask…" 9S fidgeted with his glove a moment. "Why do these machines seem so…so friendly?"

"Because they _are_ friendly," said Brenna. "Look, as suspicious as you three are, I'm…actually kinda curious. Did you _really_ get here via portal? Are you really from another world?"

"Look at it this way," said A2, a frown on her face, "where we come from, these bastards are waging war with us. Apparently, they drove humanity to the moon. So says YoRHa, anyway."

Brenna shook her head. "That's not right. Humans…they're all dead. And androids and machines haven't been at war in over one-hundred years." She stated these things as if they were indisputable fact.

"No war…in over a century?" 9S looked over to 2B, whom so far had remained silent.

"Yup. The twins were made by the machines to commemorate peace between the two factions." She pointed over to two blonde androids, dressed in pure white. One had her hair down, while the other wore hers up in an intricate style. "Liz! Mary!"

Both turned to the sound of their names, and visibly brightened at the sight of her. "Brenna!" exclaimed the one with her hair down, running over to hug the raven-haired soldier. She laughed and hugged back.

"So, your mission was a success. I'm so pleased!"

"Well, there's nothing real dangerous out there apart from the wildlife," said Brenna. "Besides, Si was out there with me."

"Who are these three?" asked the machine with her hair up.

"I found them wandering this way from the ruins." Brenna turned to the monochrome trio and gestured to both machines in turn, starting with the one who hugged her. "This is Mary and Elizabeth."

Both offered them a deep curtsy, and as they surfaced, the startling green of their eyes caught the light of the sun.

"What are your names?" asked Elizabeth.

"I'm afraid they don't have names," said Brenna. "Just military aliases."

"I'm 9S," said 9S. "This is 2B and A2."

"How strange," said Mary. "Which camp do you come from?"

"…camp?" 9S seemed puzzled.

"I've found her." Silas reappeared just in time. "Let's go."

"It was nice to meet you," said 9S cheerily.

"Be seeing you," said Elizabeth amicably.

"Interesting, don't you think?" asked Mary as they left.

"Hm?"

"That they don't have names," she clarified.

"I'm sure there's a reason for it," said Elizabeth, smiling.

"Perhaps they're like Rose?"

"Who knows." Elizabeth's brow stitched together in thought. "I suppose it might make some sense. You felt that power spike in the ruins, didn't you?"

Mary nodded. "Perhaps they're the cause."

"Just like Rose…"

 _ **…**_

"Rose should be in the storage area," said Silas as they walked deeper into the camp.

"Why the hell would she be in there?" asked Brenna incredulously. "That place is a maze."

"It's also a mess," replied Silas. "She's helping clear it up."

"Brave of her," Brenna giggled.

2B wasn't listening to the duo's conversation. In fact, she was on autopilot as her mind whirred in circles. Humanity being dead didn't surprise her; she was E for a reason. She had been briefed on that stitch-up when she was manufactured three years ago. But something else had her stunned.

 _Machines and androids co-existing in harmony…how can that be? We've fought them for thousands of years with no end to the war in sight…and now…_

"2B?" 9S' voice snapped her out of her stupor. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied coldly.

She felt more than saw his flinch. "Apologies. Didn't mean to pry."

Her hand twisted into a fist. She didn't mean to sound so cold. Especially to him.

His hand enveloped hers. She looked away.

"There's something on your mind." He was as sharp and intuitive as always.

 _I should pull my hand away. Emotions are prohibited._ But she couldn't bring herself to. "Just processing," she replied, tone deliberately softer by a touch.

His hand squeezed hers, and her fist loosened. "I know what you mean," he said. "This place…it's the same, but it's so different too."

 _Peace seems to be the norm here. And their emotion…_ "These androids shouldn't voice their emotions so openly." Ahh, there it was. The real source of her confusion.

"They obviously have different rules here." He seemed gladdened by this.

 _It must be nice, not having to hide your true feelings._ She wished she could be like him. Like them.

But she couldn't. Her first duty, her loyalty, was to YoRHa. End of story.

"Hey, don't agonise over it," he consoled her. "Let's focus on what's in front of us."

"Rose."

"Mhm. We'll meet with her, then figure out what to do from there." 9S smiled up at her. "Who knows, maybe we'll be able to find a way home."

It was what she should want. Return home, and help win the Machine War. But as they climbed up the ladder and onto the scaffolding that would take them over the fence to storage, she wondered what it would be like…to think of herself for a change, and be who she wanted to be.

Sharp needles of pain spiked down her back in response to those thoughts. Gritting her teeth, she ignored it.

Rose waited for them just outside the storage warehouse. It was her hair that was the most distinctive – the reason she received her name. A shade darker than Devola and Popola's, it caught the sun's rays in a fiery glow.

A2 slowed down, her eyes widening in disbelief. "It is…"

Rose turned her head, catching sight of the group. "Brenna! Silas!"

"Rose!" Unknowingly leaving A2 behind, the duo made their way over to the redhead.

"I received word that you two were looking for me," said Rose casually, her eyes skating over 2B, 9S and A2. "Who are…" she trailed off, eyes focusing on them. "You…"

"These androids have no names," said Silas. "Just the military aliases 2B, 9S and A2."

"A2? But she…" Rose's full attention was now on the busted-up android, taking her in as she stood very, very still.

A2 gritted her teeth, looking down. "Long time no see, Captain Rose."

Rose walked over to her slowly, as if approaching a skittish horse. Her hand reached out, touching her hair first, then her shoulder. "Christ…so you survived…" Her jaw set. "What about the others? 22S? Anemone?"

A2 tensed further. "Anemone and I were the only other survivors. Black box signals of my squadron are offline, and she thinks you're dead. I thought you were dead."

"I almost was," said Rose. "But that's a story for another day. Silas," she directed her attention to the raven-haired androids behind her, "make sure these three have a room. They'll be staying with us a while."

"Roger," said Silas, turning on his heel and hopping back up the scaffolding.

"Brenna, why don't you show them around? This camp may be a little different to what they're used to."

"Uhm, sure," said Brenna awkwardly.

"I'll explain everything later, okay?" Rose put a hand on her shoulder, and Brenna nodded, a smile on her face.

"Right then. This way, please."

"I'll rendezvous with you later to establish your chain of command," said Rose. "Welcome to the Resistance Camp."

"Roger that," said 2B.

"Actually, before we go," said 9S, "we need to replace A2's fuel filter, and her NFCS is damaged."

"Say no more," said Rose. "Elizabeth and Mary can help you with your NFCS. Talk to the supplies manager for your fuel filter, I think we might still have one handy."

"Right," said 9S, nodding. "Let's go, A2."

"Supplies and weapons management is out front near the jukebox," said Brenna. "I'll lead the way."

"Sure thing."

A2 stayed quiet, following after the two with her head spinning all the while. First peace with machines, now this! Although knowing someone else from the 8th Machine War was alive besides her and Anemone was significantly more palatable, as soon as she was fixed, she was out of there.

Until then, she'd have to put up with company.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Horribly short, I know, but the chapters DO get longer later on. Would I lie to you? Of course not! I'm a woman of my word!**_

 _ **Anyway. Until next chapter!**_

 _ **Fang out.**_


	5. Assimilation

_**A/N: I know, it's been a while. Again. I seriously need to get my butt in gear. But a lot has happened since the last time I talked with all of you, all of which is extremely personal and painful to deal with. Just trust me when I say I had a good reason to be away.**_

 _ **For those of you reviewers who were worried about whether or not I would come back to this, have no fear. I have a fair few chapters here to post. Until I run out of them, I will upload them once a fortnight. If I do run out I will do my best to write up more before the next post. Keep an eye on my bio - I usually keep that updated with what's happening on my end.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 5 - Assimilation**_

* * *

It was abundantly clear that the occupants of the camp trusted Rose implicitly. Brenna, now leagues more comfortable than she was just twenty minutes before, walked with them as she showed them everything the camp had to offer.

There was very little difference between this camp and the one back in their own world. Supplies and weaponry were manned by the same androids, though neither recognised 2B or 9S, as was logical, and their hair and eyes were black and red – just like every other android they had come across. Brenna explained that this was supposed to make them feel closer to each other, as if they were all related by blood, though individuality was still widely accepted and even encouraged, much to the shock of the white-haired androids.

"You're allowed to express emotion here?" 9S sounded almost gleeful.

"Yeah, of course. It was kinda our creators' last command. 'Be more human than humans', basically," Brenna explained.

Devola and Popola were missing from the picture, instead replaced by Elizabeth and Mary, the machines' version. They were designed to be gentle and kind, almost like the angels humans so lovingly used to tell stories of. Brenna mentioned other Devola-Popola models, but said they were elsewhere.

Brenna then pointed them towards their room, which was a familiar space for 2B and 9S – it was the same room given to them by Anemone weeks prior. "Silas went ahead and set it up, I think," she said amicably. "He's practical like that. You can set up in there, if you'd like."

"We don't have anything else with us," said 2B, "so that won't be a problem."

Brenna's eyebrows lifted a fraction. "Really? No extra clothes? No supplies?"

9S shook his head. "Just what we have on us."

"Okay…" She turned her attention to A2. "Well, supplies is back there, so you're free to go ahead and request a fuel filter from him. I'll go get the twins."

After the three androids entered their room and sorted out sleeping arrangements – A2 chose the bed closest to the door, which left 2B and 9S to claim the other two over to the right of the room – Silas caught up with them.

"You all set?"

"As much as we can be," said 9S.

"Okay. Rose is ready to see you guys anytime, after A2 has undergone her maintenance."

"Right," said 2B.

"In the meantime, you'll probably want to check out weapons maintenance. See if there's anything that needs touching up," said Silas.

"We'll check it out."

It was at that moment that Brenna returned, the twins in tow. "I'm back!"

"Well, hello again," said Mary.

"Hello," said A2 stiffly.

"We're told you need some repairs?" asked Elizabeth.

"My NFCS is damaged."

"Easily done. Stay put for a moment, I'd like to give you a scan," said Elizabeth, holding out a hand. Within moments her eyes had brightened considerably.

"You two are free to explore until we're done," said Mary. "We shouldn't be too long, and you don't have to stay here."

"We might as well," said 9S.

"You can come over to the jukebox if you'd like," said Brenna. "We tend to find lots of music data when we go outside camp, some of which can be salvaged and listened to for leisure in our downtime. And if there's anything else you're curious about, I can answer some more of your questions as well."

"That sounds good," said 9S. "2B?"

She shrugged. "Nothing else to do." Together, they left A2 to her maintenance.

"I'll just stay here then," said A2, breathing out through her nose.

"We won't keep you long," said Mary soothingly.

"Definitely not. There's just enough damage that your sword will appear, but won't come to your hand when you fight," said Elizabeth. "It's a simple matter to repair, but it's good that you came to us before it could get any worse."

"Didn't have much of a choice there," said A2.

"Did your friends bring you to us?" asked Mary.

"Making a few assumptions there."

"Oh? Well, you should thank them all the same," said Elizabeth. "This might tickle a bit."

A2 felt an alien sensation in her body, in her brain. "Ugh! What is this?" It felt unnatural, and she didn't like it.

"Don't squirm, please! I might make a mistake!"

"Have you never been tickled before?"

"What the hell is that?" snapped A2.

"I guess not," said Mary uncomfortably.

"Are you alright? Why are you so annoyed?"

A2 exhaled. "I'm not comfortable discussing that with strangers."

"I suppose that's fair," gentled Elizabeth. "But please refrain from snapping at my sister. We're just doing our job."

A2 found herself nodding, and tried to rein it in a little. "Alright. I apologise," she said stiffly.

"It's okay," said Mary, "just…unexpected."

Black emotions clawed at A2's mind and heart like a wild beast, warring within her. She was uncomfortable. She was confused. Angry. She wished there were some hostile machines to cut up so she could ease some of the tension inside her. She sighed, and tried to shake them from her mind.

"Well, that should wrap things up," said Elizabeth, withdrawing. "Your NFCS should work now."

"Sure. Thanks a lot," said A2.

"No problem. I noticed in my scan that you need a new fuel filter. You may need to talk to supplies about this, but I think we're actually out of those. If so, you'll need to speak to Blaise."

"Blaise? Who's that?"

"Uhm…" Mary toed the ground awkwardly. "Yeah, she's a machine that runs a village not far from here. She's very suspicious of androids."

"It's a bit tense dealing with her for supplies," said Elizabeth, "but she has the means to make items that we just can't. In return, we offer her goods that she likewise can't get her hands on."

"Noted. I'll speak to supplies first. And…thanks again, for your help."

"It's no trouble," said Elizabeth, smiling. "Usually it's Devola and Popola conducting maintenance, but they're at a different camp at the moment, and we do just as well."

"Besides," chimed Mary, "if we can help, we're perfectly happy to do so."

"I'll remember that," said A2 as she left them.

 _Brenna said they'd be at the jukebox…where was that again?_ She'd never been to the original Resistance Camp, purely because she was too ashamed to face Anemone. She could hardly admit that to herself, but it was true.

So much time on her own, when she was designed to fight in a team setting. Depression clawed at her gut. _I wish I had died with the others…_ No, that was a selfish thought. Besides, she now knew that Rose was alive and well, however that had come about. Maybe there was hope for her brethren, too? It was a small hope, one that she refused to let grow any bigger, lest she be wrong. She knew she would not be so lucky as to have another of her team survive.

A helpful group of androids and machines were more than happy to point her in the right direction – the latter, to her chagrin – and soon enough she had found her quarry with Brenna.

9S stood, 2B doing the same right alongside him. "Fixed up?"

A2 nodded. "Apparently, they might be out of fuel filters, which means I need to chase up some machine called 'Blaise'."

9S nodded. "I did ask about that for you, and unfortunately, you're right."

Brenna spoke up. "Be careful with her. She's really leery towards us."

"Do you have any idea why?" asked 9S.

Brenna made a face. "She doesn't trust us not to start another war, basically. She's gathered a few like-minded machines and set up a village in the forested region not far from here. If you do go there, tread lightly with her."

"Oh, goodie," said A2 drily.

"We need to talk to Rose before we do anything else," asserted 2B.

"You're right," said 9S. "We'll need a chain of command while we're here."

"Rose is still in storage, I think," said Brenna. "That place is messy as hell. Try not to get lost in there trying to find her."

"Roger that."

Rose was in the heart of the warehouse, surrounded by tall boxes and crates, cursing her subordinates' lack of care and organisation. "Oh, it's you three. Are you all fixed up, A2?"

"Not quite. We need to go get a fuel filter directly from Blaise."

Rose grimaced. "Ooh, bad luck. She's a bit of a handful."

"We've heard," said 9S.

"Well, since the Machine War pretty much doesn't exist here, there's nothing real dangerous out there apart from the wildlife. Child's play for you three, though, I'd imagine." Rose smiled at them. "If you haven't already, check out weapons management. Improving your weaponry can mean the difference between life and death, even if you are only going up against the occasional aggressive moose or boar."

"Noted," said 2B. "We'll be back."

"Oh, and before you go," said Rose quickly. "You'll be under my command until you rendezvous with the military here. They, too, are YoRHa."

"How will we manage that?"

"You mean, how do you contact them? Well, Brenna and Silas are part of YoRHa. Just speak to them and they'll speak to Noir for you."

"Roger that. And thanks for the info," said 9S gratefully.

"No problem. Now go find Blaise. She'll be in her village; she barely leaves. Usually she just sends another machine to deliver supplies, since she can't stand the peace here." Rose laughed. "She's a nutcase, but as long as you don't get on her bad side you'll be fine."

And so, after checking their weapons, for the time being, they put the Camp behind them, heading in the direction of this Blaise they had heard so much about.

…

"Where should we start?" asked 6B seriously.

The two former operators had found their way to the Resistance Camp and were in the process of taking it all in - the destruction, the scars. Every android they passed had the same haunted look in their eyes. Every one of them had lost a comrade, a friend. It would take a long time for those scars to heal.

"9S told me in our last scheduled contact that they were both looked over by the twins, Devola and Popola," replied 21B. "Best that we chase that up after talking to Anemone."

"Roger that."

Anemone was easy to spot. Her back was to them, her desert attire masking her black hair as she busied herself with whatever was in front of her. 21B stepped forward. "Anemone."

"Ah, it's the Operators, correct?" Anemone faced them with worry in her eyes. "Welcome to the Resistance Camp. How is Earth treating you?"

Before 6B could gush about all that she'd seen, 21B got straight to the point. "We're looking for units 2B and 9S. We need any information you have on their current whereabouts, as you were one of the last to see them."

"Of course," said Anemone. "Well, 2B was severely injured after the battle with Eve. 9S chose to stay here for the remainder of her recovery. They were recovering over there." She pointed over to an area filled with stretchers, in front of which was a female merchant. "9S only ever left her side to change bodies. Devola and Popola were in charge of repairs." She then gestured to two androids with hair a bright scarlet.

"Roger that. Thank you for the information," said 21B.

"Thank you!" said 6B cheerily.

Devola and Popola could give them little more to go on than Anemone. "Yeah, we helped out," said Devola. "Figured it was the least we could do for saving the Camp."

"2B was badly injured," said Popola softly. "Whereas 9S only needed to swap bodies from a machine. We did what we could, and then left the rest up to her own internal systems, and her Pod, of course."

"Were you nearby when they disappeared?"

Devola shook her head. "We were off on an expedition at the time. When we came back, they were gone, so we assumed they left for the Bunker."

"Well, that complicates things," said 6B as they left the twins.

"All that's left is to investigate the area they were last seen," said 21B.

"You mean this little space? What do you think we'll find?"

"A clue. A lead. Something that points us in the right direction."

"Roger that!"

* * *

 _ **A/N: Again, I deeply apologise for being away so long. I feel like all I'm doing is letting you guys down, and that makes it harder to come back. But I can never leave this site fully. I'll always come back here.**_

 _ **I'm trying hard to stay sane. I just hope you'll all bear with me.**_


	6. Of Different Views

_**A/N: Hello again! I might havr been a few days late due to work. I also maybe kimd of forgot what day it was, and I checked the date today and compared it to when I last updated, and, well, I'm three days late. Um...heh...apologies, friends. Shall we continue? XD**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 6 – Of Different Views**_

* * *

As Rose suggested, the trip from the Resistance Camp to Blaise's village was relatively smooth, with only one instance where a boar decided it wanted to dismantle the passing group. Unfortunately for it, that fight was a lost cause.

But this was another instance that, for 2B and 9S, further cemented their partnership. Being able to fight in perfect synchrony, able to understand each other through looks alone, without the pressure usually involved, was a weight off them both. They agreed, silently, that maybe it would behoove them to stay, and find a niche to fit themselves into until they could find a way home. After all, where else could they go?

"Brenna," said 2B once the fight was done. "Rose informed us that if we wanted to speak to YoRHa, we would need to go through you. Is that correct?"

Brenna blinked, unprepared for the question. "Um, yeah. Why? Thinking of joining up?"

"We were soldiers in our own world," said 9S. "We need an established chain of command."

"Sure thing. We can speak to Noir on your behalf, if you'd like."

" _Commander_ Noir," Silas spoke up.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," sighed Brenna. "Oh, I forgot to ask, 2B…"

"What?"

"Is this your uniform?" Brenna gestured from 2B head to toe.

"Yes." 2B folded her arms, unintentionally drawing attention to the window in the dress. "What about it?"

"Isn't it a little…I don't know, impractical?"

"It's what we were given," said 2B. "There wasn't much else to choose from. Besides, we have no reason to care about clothing. That's a human concept."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just insinuate you were better than humans," said Brenna, teeth clenched, "and instead focus on how the hell you can fight in a short skirt and heels sharp enough to stab someone."

"I didn't 'insinuate' anything," said 2B simply. "And, again, this is all we were given. You become used to it over time."

"You don't get…embarrassed?"

"Emotions are prohibited."

Brenna pinched the bridge of her nose. "Forget it."

Silas nudged 9S, and he turned to face him. "Is 2B always like that?"

9S put a hand to his chin in thought. "If you mean stoic and serious, then yes. She's very focused on the task at hand, and she doesn't usually stop to take in the scenery." _But when she does open up…_

Silas nodded. "Hm. No wonder Bren's having a hard time."

"Having a hard time…with 2B?"

Another nod. "Yeah. She's very out there. It also doesn't help that 2B buries her emotions. What's up with that, anyway?"

9S sighed. "It's…kind of a long story."

"Oh? Then I won't pry." Silas took the lead, leaving 2B, 9S, A2 and Brenna to trail along behind him. "Blaise's village isn't that far away now. Ten minutes, tops, I'd say."

A2 folded her arms and kept a wide berth from the others on the rest of their trip. She wasn't the type for socialization or team-building. It was something that gave her superiors quite the headache during combat simulations.

They had taken the long way around, it seemed, through the back of the forest ruins. As Brenna chatted happily away to 9S about the architecture and the castle's origins, Silas and 2B silent up front, A2 trailed behind. If ever there was a time to ditch them, it would be now. But there was still the problem of her fuel filter. If left unchecked, she would surely wind up easy prey. No, best that she stick with them for now.

"Halt!" A flying machine with red eyes floated down towards them, axe in hand. "What is your business here?"

Brenna stepped forward. "We need a fuel filter for one of our own. In exchange, we offer this." She presented a sizeable amount of amber substance, thick and viscous.

The machine looked at them for several moments. "Rose's camp?"

"Yes."

Its eyes dimmed to amber. "Well enough. Pass, as long as you do not linger." It moved aside, allowing them to walk through, and into Blaise's village.

The village itself seemed innocent enough. Families of machines eyed the androids thoroughly, following their every movement with care. A machine with a top hat did the same, its hand firmly clasping a tiny stubby machine, a brilliant blue jewel on its hand.

"That's...Jean-Paul," said 2B softly.

"Yeah. Does that make his lady friend there Simone?" asked 9S.

"Maybe..."

The village had a similar layout to Pascal's. Four levels high, with tin houses concentrated around one especially large tree, and metal walkways connecting outlying houses and alternate routes that led presumably to the city ruins and the amusement park, guarded by machines. Ladders connected all four levels.

"And what do _you_ want?" snapped a deep male voice. 2B and 9S stared in surprise.

The machine looked as identical to Pascal as his village looked to this one, the only difference being its eyes – a cold amber. Guarded. Distrustful.

"Blaise. My friend needs a new fuel filter," said Brenna, once again stepping forward. "We've run out of stock."

"Hmph. Of course you have." Blaise folded her arms. "We need something in return. I hope you haven't forgotten _that_ , at least."

"Of course not," said Brenna politely. "We have some viscous oil for you."

"Good. Hand it over and I'll find you a filter."

Brenna did just that, and Blaise left to find a filter, leaving several machines to watch them.

"I don't see what's so funny about her," said A2. "Apart from the male voice, she seems normal enough."

"She's quite distrustful of androids," said Silas. "She seems to think the peace treaty was enacted in haste. Stepping carefully around her is the best way to ensure no violence erupts between her village and our camps."

"Something tells me there's more to it than that," said 2B. "She has to have a reason for being the way she is."

"That may be the case," said Brenna, "but it's none of our business either way. Prying would only get us into trouble."

"That it would," growled Blaise. "Your filter." She thrust it into Brenna's hands. "If that's all...scram."

"O-Of course." Brenna turned and walked back the way they came, leaving the others to follow suit.

"We'll install the new filter once we get back to camp," said Silas. "It's safer that way."

"I thought you said that it was safe out here apart from the wildlife?" 9S seemed confused.

Silas nodded. "That's true, for the most part. There are radicals out there that are against YoRHa, not unlike Blaise's village. But unlike Blaise, who grudgingly trades with us for supplies, these guys won't bother playing nice. And it's not just machines, either. Some androids have recently joined their cause, and they were former YoRHa."

"So much for peace," said 2B.

"There's rarely any such thing as a unanimous decision," argued 9S. "We have the same issue back home. Some androids and machines long for the war to end, but others can't forgive the other party for the deaths of their comrades and friends." He sighed. "I wonder if all that's done with over there."

"What do you mean?" asked 2B.

"That's right, you wouldn't know." 9S faced his partner. "YoRHa were planning a ground assault on the rest of the machines while you recovered. It was _just_ a plan, mind you, but it's been a while now, so it would have had time to be approved."

"Hm." 2B bit her lip. To think that she could very well be missing out on the end of the war... it didn't sit well with her.

"I'm sorry we can't be there to see it." 9S had caught on to the direction of her thoughts.

"Apologies won't change the outcome," said 2B.

A call tone directed their attention to Brenna and her Pod. "Why is she calling me now?" asked Brenna curiously as she inspected the caller ID. "You don't think..."

"Better to be sure," said Silas, completely serious. "Answer it."

"Right. Pod?"

"Sure thing," said the Pod. Using the display on her face, she smiled at her owner before she opened up into a personalised call screen. A beautiful brunette with startling gold eyes stared balefully back at them, and offered a weak smile. "Hi, you two."

"Hey, Liv," said Brenna cheerfully. Noticing her friend and Operator's less-than-cheery expression, her own faded. "Olivia?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Brenna." Her voice was soft.

"It's okay, you can tell me." Brenna frowned in thought. "Is it about that girl you like?"

Olivia's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Brenna! She hates me, I just know it!"

"What happened?"

Olivia could barely get the words out. "I-I tried to ask her out, but...but she turned me down, and I...I just...I can't _be_ here anymore, Brenna..."

"Be where, on the Bunker?"

"Here, as in..." Her shoulders drooped.

"Oh no, Livvie, you can't do that...if you did, I don't know what I'd do."

"They'd find another Operator to take care of you. And besides, you're capable on your own. You don't need anyone's help." Olivia's smile was watery, wavering. "I'm just so...I don't know what to do, and I...I..." She sniffled.

"Livvie, you know you mean more to me than that. I know you do."

"We have to go." 2B tapped her foot impatiently. They needed to get back to camp before anything happened. From what she could hear of the conversation, it seemed entirely similar to a plight her own Operator, 6O, had experienced, but to her mind, it was irrelevant to the task at hand. Bring the fuel filter back to camp, and repair A2. That was the objective.

She could feel the cold logic overriding her, shutting her down. She had strayed too far.

"That can wait!" snapped Brenna. "My friend needs me!"

"You can talk to her when we return to camp," argued 2B, her voice deprived of emotion.

"Would you be this heartless if it was your own friend in Livvie's situation?" Brenna glared daggers at her. 2B looked away, hand clenched into a fist.

That was all the answer she needed. "You _would_ ," said Brenna, disbelieving. "For all I know, you _have_." She gritted her teeth.

"Brenna, don't–"

"I'm going on my own," snapped Brenna. "I can't stand to be around someone so callous!" With that, she turned and stalked away.

"Brenna, wait." Silas made to follow her.

"Don't you _dare,_ Silas!" Brenna's eyes slitted, so powerful was her glare. Silas stopped in his tracks. "Go escort them back to camp, if she wants to go so much! I have to get away from her!"

"Brenna..." 9S stepped forward.

Brenna growled and sprinted away, Pod in tow with a worried expression on its display.

Silas sighed. "I'm going to go track her." He faced the others, his expression that of deepest worry. "I hate when she goes off on her own like this..."

"It's happened before?" asked 9S.

"Mhm. She gets fired up when it comes to her friends or something she's deeply invested in."

2B fought the compulsion to shut away her emotions, with all she could give. The only reward she received for her efforts was stab after stab of pain down her spine, into her brain.

If this kept up...

Gritting her teeth, she let it go. And cold logic snapped into place once more, icy and unrelenting. Face blank, she started forward, towards the Resistance Camp.

"2B?"

"Let's go," she said, and even her voice was empty.

9S wrung his hands with worry, but proceeded to follow her, A2 once again bringing up the rear. But this time, her silence and distance was for a different reason.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I double-checked the other chapters, and the length does indeed increase in the next one. This is the last stubby chapter.**_

 _ **So, honest opinion? If you have any constructive criticism (and yes, concrit is indeed different to flames, which will be shut down and ignored), please feel free to let me know in a review. The story really picks up in the next few chapters, so be sure to look forward to MOAR PLOT.**_

 _ **Hoo. I remember how much trouble this chapter was to write. I had some issues getting from the camp to Blaise's place, and then Brenna decided she wanted to have disagreements with 2B, so there we are. But it does give some insight into just how different these androids are to the ones in the original world. I'm sure you have more questions, and maybe I'll answer them. Later. Find out in the next chapter!**_

 _ **Toodles!**_


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